As I mentioned I had the flu earlier in the week, but as of last night I was feeling much better. Around 10 o'clock I blew my nose and felt something odd in my right ear. It wasn't pain, but just weird and just barely enough of a feeling to make me aware of it. I didn't really think about it until about 11:30 when I woke up with the most intense pain I've had in a while in my right ear. I tried pretty much everything I could think of to make it stop(which wasn't really much) but it was gaining momentum so at about 12, headed over to the emergency room where I spent the rest of the night.I'll spare you the details but apparently I had a major ear infection and something was causing pressure to build on my ear drum. They gave me some drops and a shot and about 20 minutes later I felt this quick release and everything was back to normal except for having fluid in my ear. They sent me home and this morning I went to the clinic to learn that my eardrum burst (not as bad as it sounds cuz that's what actually released the pressure and it'll heal itself) and now i have gauze in my ear. Crazy.

Why am I writing this? Well first off because it's totally nuts and i'm dead tired. But secondly, I think my sanity may have plateaued because as I was leaving the house in extreme pain, I actually grabbed a canvas bag to bring with me, which I then thrust towards the nurse at the hospital and (I'm sure somewhat unintelligibly) moaned "Can you please put any non biohazardous waste associated with my visit in here so I can keep it?"

Now moments of the evening come and go in my mind but I clearly remember saying that through gritted teeth, and even more clearly remember the odd silence afterwards and her look that met the question. I feel safe in the knowledge that this is probably the first time she's heard that one.

Hospitals are interesting because they create an incredible amount of waste, much of it necessary I'm sure but much of it unecessary as well. For instance, those little paper covers on the table you sit on. I was fully clothed, pretty much only leaned on it, and yet, when I left they threw it out (that Nurse did not want to play my game that early in the morning so i decided it was best not to explain). Now I don't fault them because they have much more important things to stress out on, but conceptually it bothers me because I am sure this is done just as much for legal purposes as it is for health reasons, at least in my case for sure. Again, i'm not trying to add to any ER workers job, just musing about how we all do things. For the record, everyone there was fantastic and I thank them (you) all for taking care of me.

The sharps box kind of fascinated me as well. I'd have to guess that this stuff gets incinerated. Does anyone know? I don't know what else could be done with them but how sad that all of that plastic ends up being burned.

As far as meds, they prescribed some ear drops, which I picked up on the way home, and then today I was told at the clinic that they were the wrong ones and prescribed others. Wasted time, wasted sleep, wasted money and I have the original unopened in the box with nothing to do with it. No one to blame there, it just shows how things slip by.

Anyway, I was awarded a few waste items that i'll list, but I'm really psyched that the doc gave me his blue rubber gloves cuz i can use them for the worms!

End of the story - I'M NOT USUALLY THIS SICK!!!! Really. Hopefully this is the end and I can move on (in a week or so anyway).

You may notice that this posting is coming a few days after the pictures that i posted for week 4 on Sunday night. That's because from the time that I hit the "Publish Post" button it took about 20 minutes for me to be on the floor shaking so violently I couldn't stand, completely overtaken by the flu. I kid you not, 20 minutes. The most sick by far I have been in years and I didn't stop shivering for about 3 hours. I've been completely down for the last 3 days and am finally well enough (but not yet well) to sit and type at the computer. So without further ado, here's some thoughts on the week (as I try to pull them back from the haze).It was a pretty good if not hectic week. I was able to get fish in my plastic tupperware (although I think the guy behind the counter needs to get used to the idea a bit more), bread from the bakery in my re-used bags - with no problem, and my wife picked up eggs in our re-used egg carton from the farmers market on Sunday. I know that's not a huge deal, or at least doesn't sound like it, but it does mean that I'm actively chipping away at the problem and that makes me happy. And if you ever decide to do something wacky like keeping your trash in your basement, you'll soon realize that every little bit helps.

Still no real smell coming from the basement which makes all of us happy, and the girls are still diggin' (pun intended) the worms quite a bit. My wife is getting a great deal of pleasure from saying things like "So did you hear that Dave's keeping all of his trash in the basement this year" to some of the nbeighbors and watching their reactions. It's quite funny.

As far as amount, I'm sort of shocked by how little there is, but at the same time a bit concerned by how much space it's taking up. I've sort of done a visual *12 times* multiplication in my head, and I fear a lot of the tools and paint are going to need to find new homes. Ahh well, such is life.

I also just found out that in about two weeks I will be accompanying some local school kids to the Puente Hills Landfill, the largest landfill in the country, that's right here in our very own backyard in Southern California. Should be interesting and I promise to take lots of pictures, but leave no trash. It's kind of funny because they are all very excited about the visit and what I've been up to. I guess when you're in the sanitation biz you don't get nearly as many interested fans as one might think. Anyway, they sound really cool and knowledgeable so I'm psyched to riddle them with questions.

Finally, mea cupla again for taking so long on the worms info. I was crazed enough before the flu and that just set me back even more so as soon as I get my head above water on everything (bills, kids, life, blogs, chores, etc) I'll get on it.

On to listing the last 3 days - although due to the flu, they're a bit sparse.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Almost one month in and on one hand it's more than what i thought it would be and on another it's less.

The bottles are a bit more than i thought they'd be as a bunch are because of the kids, or at least i would have drunk water if they weren't there.

I now have a paper bag, cardboard boxes bag, and plastic bag bag.

The other recyclable stuff which is still fitting in the plastic tub I started with.

I've started putting aside good use recyclables that will most likely be re purposed. That way I don't have to go digging for anything.

This is the most surprising to me. The garbage pile, minus the wallpaper which is still in the blue bin I put it in, is surprisingly low. While recycling isn't a fantastic way to go, it's a heck of a lot better than throwing stuff out. I'm fairly happy that without realizing I've cut down a fair amount over the years just out of my own desire.

If any kind soul out there with a good deal of blogger/programming background wants to answer a few questions for me about posting, I'd love to bend your ear. As you can see from that last post, I'm pretty stumped at the whole formatting thing and would love it to look a little better.

One of the things that has smacked me in the face quite a bit over the last few weeks was how tough it is to travel with a light impact. Forget the problem of carbon footprints from an airplane for a moment, the simple act of entering an airport means you either need to think ahead, go without, or simply accept that you're going to create a fair amount of waste. Here are a few things that I learned from my little jaunt last week.

I always carry a water bottle and coffee mug with me in the side pockets of my bag. It's interesting to see when and if they are inspected upon going through the security area, but once on the other side, the can save you a fair amount of waste....most of the time. The water bottle is obvious, drink it down before you hit security, and fill it back up from a water fountain (yes, water fountain water in almost every state is fine to drink contrary to popular belief) on the other side. Same goes for the coffee cup but with the following potential for conflict. I have run into several starbucks in several airports over the years who say that "for security reasons" they cannot fill my mug, but will be glad to fill a cup, I can pour that cup into my mug, and they will dispose of the cup for me. I've asked many times what the security breach involved with them handling my mug is and apparently this is on a need to know basis. That said, in almost every one of those cases, including last weeks, I have found an independent company in the same terminal that has not had a problem with it. Perhaps they are terrorists in disguise waiting for the moment to fling coffee mugs at unsuspecting passersby.

In the airport, you're pretty much stumped on food unless it's a $5 piece of mealy fruit. Everything else is going to be either packaged or come with plastic eating utensils. Mmmm, doesn't plastic make everything better?

On the plane you really only have one choice and that's to think ahead. Anything you are going to get to eat is going to be so shockingly packaged that you really have no option but to waste. That said, i have found most flight attendants to be fairly eager to fill my mug or water bottle, but of course the water is coming from a plastic bottle to begin with, so I always try to fly with mine full.

As far as hotel staying, it seems like the big trip up I found was soap and shampoo. I totally forgot to think about these and had to use the little tiny bottles that they had there (coming to a basement near you soon). That said, I used the shampoo for washing myself as well as my hair, so at least I cut down on the soap packaging. Had we been in a metropolitan area I guess I probably would have bought large sizes of each and then brought them home to use normally which would have cut down somewhat. Another thing I've gotten used to is specifically asking them not to give me a straw with drinks. It seems that these come even with water these days and I've forgotten several times but am getting better.

1 odd shaped paper envelope with plastic sticker on it - garbage (this always bums me out because the size is such i will never re-use this for mail and the sticker makes it so I can't recycle or worm feed it) - garbage